Glioblastoma Symptoms & Treatment

Before venturing into the scientific background of the disease named Glioblastoma, we first need to know certain basic terms related to it and thereby, undergo the consequent study required for gaining its complete knowledge about its symptoms and respective treatment.

To start with, first we need to throw the light towards Glia cells. Glia cells are present in the human brain and are responsible for holding all neurons together. These cells further aid by communicating with the neurons in the brain and consequently boost up their functions. Glia cells can also be termed as the networking of the brain or as the adhesive that helps in maintaining all neurons in their respective place.

Problem arises when these Glia cells starts to multiply uncontrollably giving birth to deadly malignant tumors. These neoplasmic cells then loose all their control and proliferate to generate tumor cells. As in its symptoms are not very peculiar to get noticed of, thereby, it usually fails to drive any attention during its growth. This condition then gives rise to a malignant from of aggressive tumor, which is mostly non-curable in nature but if it is detected early it is to an extent curable.

What is Glioblastoma?

Glioblastoma is a type of brain cancer which is very deadly in its form and generally the total duration of life span after its detection cannot exceed by more than 2 years. This form of cancer cells directly affects the central nervous system. It has been found by statistical surveys that a total of 23% of all primary diagnosed brain tumors are solely accounted to Glioblastoma.

The survival of the patient with this disease can only be accounted upon the stage of cancer at which it is detected. There are various forms of brain cancers which are witnessed but Glioblastoma is one such form in which maximum malignancy of tumor cells are noticed. This condition is scientifically termed as ‘Glioblastoma multiforme’. It can often be abbreviated as GBM. Glioblastoma may initiate as a single tumor in the brain with minimal symptoms noticed.

But as time proceeds and the brain cancer progresses, this may lead to conglomeration of brain tumors in different areas of the brain. It is during this stage, that symptoms are noticed in relation to a particular tumor of the brain. Treatment induces the probability of enhanced life span by a few days to a couple of years, hugely depending on the stage at which it is detected. Glioblastoma multiforme belongs to the highest grade of cancer, viz grade 4. In most cases, it is likely to grow fatal with minimal cure available.

What are the Most Probable Symptoms of Glioblastoma?

There are many types of symptoms that are most likely to beneficial in detecting the stage of brain cancer. Some of the types of symptoms include the visible symptoms, general symptoms, frontal lobe tumor, parietal lobe tumor and temporal lobe tumor. The general symptoms of Glioblastoma include the most common symptom which is headache. This headache isn’t a very common kind one.

This headache is often debilitating with immense pressure on the head. It often feels as if the head can burst anytime due to this headache. The symptoms are often includes loss of vision, dizziness and nausea and loss of sensory perception in the brain. These are the most common general symptoms observed with a Glioblastoma patient. The visible symptoms may include paralysis in any one side of the body, personality change, seizures & incoherent or slurred speech which is often impaired too.

Symptoms for Frontal Lobe Tumor

There are some of the most common symptoms which positively indicate the presence of tumor in the frontal lobe of the brain. These include periodic vomiting, loss of intellectual functions, fluctuations in the personality and behavior, convulsions and stupor. Debilitating headache also signifies the presence of tumor in the frontal lobe.

Symptoms for Parietal Lobe Tumor

The most frequently occurring symptoms that might target towards occurrence of glioblastomic tumor in a part of brain may be inclusive of loss of ability to write, spatial and sensory distortions, numbness in the limbs. This may also include loss of positional awareness of the entire body. This development of tumor is mainly in the topmost, central lobe of the brain.

Symptoms of Temporal Lobe Tumor

There are a set of specific symptoms related to temporal lobe tumor which includes consistent inability to understand conversations or languages and lack of coordination skills. These tumors take place in the temporal part of the brain, i.e., in the bottom section of the brain.

Diagnosis of Glioblastoma Cancer

The brain disorders or mal functions is often correlated to the MRI scan. This MRI tumor will display the location, shape, size and nature of the brain tumor. Then biopsy of the collected tumor cells are done to get the nature of the tumor formed, i.e., it is benign or malignant in nature. This pathology procedure is very important in determinant the potent degree of risk which is inherent with the tumor cell.

Treatment of GSM

Initially, the first stage of treatment process is the surgical removal of glioblastomic tumor called resection. But a line of restriction that follows is that all brain tumors cannot be operated. If the progeny of tumor is somewhere around the brain stem directly correlated to the central nervous system, this operation of resection would be completely useless as it would cause no health benefit. For these adverse cases, alternate methods needs to be devised out to remove the tumor.

Then, the alternate line of defense is the radiation therapy. In this process, ionizing radiations are impregnated in to the brain to disrupt the entire tumor formation. The process is carried out for approximately 5 days a week. This process is continued for around 5 to 7 weeks. This is also aided by the conventional treatment of tumors, viz, chemotherapy. After the completion of the radiation procedure, the process of chemotherapy is continued for about 6 to 12 months, at periodic intervals, greatly depending on the severity of the glioblastomic tumor.